Don’t Let Flu Season Get You Down
Be prepared - get a flu shot

Click here to view this story as it appeared in the Morganton News Herald (Includes additional graphics and information) in pdf format.

BY SAM MURRAY
BLUE RIDGE HEALTHCARE

MORGANTON - If you’ve had the flu before, you may have no trouble imagining how it will feel to be lying flat on your back, your body aching from head to toe. Once you reach that point, it will be too late to prepare yourself for the flu.

Flu season in the northern hemisphere runs from November to April. Flu shots are generally available starting October 1, and it’s a good idea to get yours as early as possible so you have time to build immunity before the virus arrives in your area.

“When you’re healthy, you may tend to dismiss the flu as merely a bad cold. The misery of a cold usually comes on somewhat gradually, but if you have the flu, you usually know on the very first day that you’re dealing with something more serious. In addition to the coughing, stuffy nose and sore throat that come with either illness, the flu tends to wipe you out with fever, chills, headache and generalized aches and pains,” said Dr. Tracy Chapman, FNP at Family Medical Associates, part of Blue Ridge HealthCare Medical Group.

Both are viral infections that cannot be treated with antibiotics and will usually get better on their own with rest, extra fluids and over-the-counter pain medications.

“Flu patients, however, have a longer battle and may end up with a serious complication such as pneumonia that is difficult to fight off,” Chapman said.

About 36,000 Americans die each year while another 125,000 are hospitalized as a result of the flu and its complications.

Those most at risk of suffering severe complications are the very young, the very old and those with chronic medical conditions. That’s why these groups are always listed among those who should get priority when supplies of the vaccine are short, as they were last year.

This year, however, supplies are expected to be ample, and there’s no reason for anyone not to get immunized.

“The predominant flu virus changes from year to year, and the vaccine is formulated to fight the most dominant strains. Last year’s flu shot won’t protect you this year, but it may shorten the time you need to develop antibodies,” Chapman said.

Children younger than nine who have never had a flu shot may need a second dose, about a month after the first, to develop full immunity. Older persons and those with chronic illnesses may get the flu even though they are vaccinated, but the disease is usually not as severe.

The vaccine is made of killed virus, so you can’t get the flu from a shot - only a little soreness at the spot of injection and perhaps some other side effects. FluMist, delivered as a nasal spray, is a live virus and should not be given to anyone with AIDS, cancer or other conditions that might suppress immunity.

Once you come down with a bug, take care of yourself. Drink plenty of fluids, get rest, use over-the-counter medications to relieve symptoms and take the time to get better. For a previously healthy person, a doctor’s care is usually not necessary even for the flu unless complications such as bronchitis, sinusitis, ear infections or pneumonia set in.

Remember, antibiotics won’t help against the flu unless a secondary bacterial infection develops.

To search for MORE information, please visit our web site at www.blueridgehealth.org.

Who Gets a Shot?

Anyone can get the flu, and vaccination is the best way to avoid the spread of the disease. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices highly recommends a flu shot for anyone at high risk of complications, including:

• persons age 65 and over,
• children aged 6 to 59 months (increased from 24 months last year),
• adults and children with chronic medical conditions such as diabetes, asthma, heart disease, chronic lung problems, AIDS or cancer,
• pregnant women,
• persons who live with or care for persons with chronic medical conditions,
• health care professionals.
• Persons age 50 to 64 form another moderate- to high-risk group because of the high prevalence of chronic medical conditions in this age group.

SAM MURRAY is a writer and graphic artist in Blue Ridge HealthCare’s Marketing and Public Relations Department.

The second largest employer in Burke County, Blue Ridge HealthCare serves a four-county area and includes Grace and Valdese hospitals, Blue Ridge Home HealthCare, Grace Heights and College Pines Health & Rehabilitation Centers, Grace Ridge Retirement Community, Phifer Wellness Center and a number of physician practices.